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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29364699">this party is just another haunted house (i can't wait)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vapeman/pseuds/vapeman'>vapeman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, No Angst, The Masquerade, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs, Web Series: Tales from the SMP, i wanted more james content so i wrote it myself, karl/james doesnt have a character tag :(</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:53:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,415</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29364699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vapeman/pseuds/vapeman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yes, the mansion is glorious. The estate is breathtaking. The people, Sir Billiam’s guests, are dazzling and eccentric and impeccably dressed. </p>
<p>And Karl is bored out of his mind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Karl Jacobs/Sapnap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>318</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>this party is just another haunted house (i can't wait)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mansion is glorious. Overwhelming and sickeningly ornate. Sir Billiam’s tour felt like it had lasted ages. With every new room Karl thought there couldn’t possibly be more, and every room he seemed to be wrong. The hallways felt like they stretched on for miles, the ceilings so high it hardly even felt like a shelter but instead a looming cavern. </p>
<p>Yes, the mansion is glorious. The estate is breathtaking. The people, Sir Billiam’s guests, are dazzling and eccentric and impeccably dressed. </p>
<p>And Karl is bored out of his mind. </p>
<p>The party, though decadent in every sense of the word, was a total snooze-fest. </p>
<p>Karl wanders the front hall, craning his neck to watch the chandelier catch the light. The rest of the partygoers are in the ballroom, but Karl had made his escape. There was only so much he could take of listening to them talk about solid gold and tax fraud. Luckily, Oliver had stolen Sir Billiam’s attention long enough for Karl to slip from the room. </p>
<p>Now, he explores the mansion a bit more thoroughly. He takes his time treading the halls, observing the paintings, feeling the smooth glossy wood of the staircase railings. He ends up back in the front hall, idly swirling the last of his wine in his glass. </p>
<p>Once the chandelier loses his attention, he finds himself drifting towards the piano. He doesn’t know how to play much, but he’s sure if he doesn’t do something soon he’s going to die of boredom. </p>
<p>He sets his glass aside and takes a seat on a piano bench that seems much too big for only one person. The piano keys shine in the light, obviously well cared for. He wonders if anyone actually played it, or if it was just another piece of extravagant decor. </p>
<p>The first note rings out in the room, filling the space with a clear sharp sound. He messes around for a bit, skating his fingers across the keys, before carefully picking out a simple little tune. </p>
<p>“You play?” </p>
<p>Karl jumps, causing a clatter of noise as he presses the keys too hard. He turns to find James, leaning against one of the doorways. </p>
<p>Karl flushes and rubs the back of his neck, “Uh, not really. Do you?” </p>
<p>James moves closer, careless and confident all at once. One of his hands is tucked in his pocket, the other holding his wine glass. </p>
<p>“No,” he answers with a soft laugh, “I did as a kid, but I’d always sneak out of my lessons.” </p>
<p>Karl grins, fidgeting with the sleeves of his hoodie, “Oh yeah? Better things to do?” </p>
<p>James’s eyes shine under his mask as he smirks, “Yeah, I guess.” </p>
<p>There’s a beat of silence. Karl feels like it should be awkward, just staring at each other, but it’s not. He feels comfortable, if a little nervous, under James’s stare.</p>
<p>“Have we-,” James starts suddenly, “Are you sure we haven’t met before?” </p>
<p>Karl can’t help the nervous giggle that bubbles in his throat. For a moment, he remembers a laugh, a sharp smile, a calloused hand, but it’s fuzzy and gone before he can focus on it. </p>
<p>“Yes, I’m sure,” He chews at his bottom lip, “I think, uh, I think I’d remember. Meeting someone like you.” </p>
<p>It sounds dumb the second it comes out of his mouth, but James just laughs. </p>
<p>“I think I’d remember meeting someone like you too,” he replies, voice much softer than before. </p>
<p>Karl feels like he’s burning alive under James’s gaze. He looks away, drags his fingers over the piano keys to fill the air with noise. </p>
<p>“Do you mind if I join you?” James asks, and when Karl looks up he’s much closer than he was before. Practically close enough to touch. </p>
<p>Karl stutters and scrambles to make room on the bench, “Uh, sure, yeah. Go for it.” </p>
<p>James sits so close their knees knock together. “Thanks. This party kind of blows right?” </p>
<p>Karl laughs, relieved to have something to focus on besides the heat of James’s thigh pressed against his own. “Oh, totally, dude. Worst party ever.” </p>
<p>James turns the glass in his hand, watching the wine tilt with it. “At least the vintage is good,” he cuts his eyes back to Karl, dark and sharp underneath the mask, “and the view is better.” </p>
<p>The heat rises to Karl’s cheeks again, burning up the back of his neck to his ears. He’s thankful for the mask, a small barrier between him and the overwhelming presence of James. “I, uh, are you saying what I think you’re saying right now?” </p>
<p>James sets his glass aside, next to Karl’s own on top of the piano. He doesn’t take his gaze off Karl, and Karl almost wishes he would so that he could catch his breath. </p>
<p>“Depends. What do you think I’m saying?” </p>
<p>Karl giggles again, pressing his knuckles to his teeth, “That you think I’m the prettiest princess at the ball?” </p>
<p>James laughs, and Karl doesn’t want him to ever stop laughing, “I think you’re more than pretty, Karl.” </p>
<p>“Damn, dude. Right back at you,” Karl ducks his head, pressing his fingers to his overheated cheeks.</p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye, he sees James’s hand move. It hovers for a long moment, just above Karl’s knee. Karl waits, deathly still, until it settles warm and firm on his leg. </p>
<p>He peers back up at James to find him already staring back. </p>
<p>“Do you think- Could I-“ </p>
<p>It’s the first time he’s heard James sound uncertain, nervous even. His other hand has moved as well, reaching up towards Karl’s face. It stops, hanging awkwardly in the space between them. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Karl answers, before James can even finish his question.</p>
<p>James blinks, mouth hanging slightly open, “Are you sure? I don’t want to be too forward.” </p>
<p>Karl smiles, and smiles wider when he sees James's eyes flick down to his mouth. “I’m sure, yeah. Yeah.” </p>
<p>And when James cups Karl’s cheek in his hand, that’s warm too. Karl feels like he’s on fire, skin lighting up everywhere James touches. He leans forward without even having to think about it, and James meets him in the middle. </p>
<p>James kisses him, and distantly it feels like some piece of Karl’s scrambled, timeless universe clicks into place. </p>
<p>He realizes suddenly, that he should probably do something with his hands. He pushes one into James’s hair, feeling the band of James’s mask against his scalp. James hums at the touch, and uses the hand on Karl’s thigh to pull him closer. </p>
<p>Karl isn’t sure how long they spend like this. The world seems to melt away, the whole point of his trip here fading from his mind until all he can think about is James. Is the hand on his face and the teeth pressing into his bottom lip and the low collar of the shirt that he hooks his fingers into. </p>
<p>Eventually, James pulls away and laughs breathlessly when Karl tries to follow him. He rests his forehead against Karl’s, masks pressed awkwardly against each other. </p>
<p>“We should probably head back to the party,” James murmurs, thumbing gently over Karl’s cheek, “Billiam was asking where you were.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, okay,” Karl breathes. </p>
<p>Neither of them move, and Karl quickly becomes distracted by the soft touch. He leans further into it, and James huffs. </p>
<p>“You are way too distracting, Karl,” James states, and the tone he uses makes Karl feel endlessly warm. </p>
<p>“I know,” Karl grins. </p>
<p>James rolls his eyes, but he leans in and kisses him again anyways. It’s much more chaste, a brief press of lips against Karl’s smile. </p>
<p>They return to the party, eventually, fingers loosely linked as they enter the ballroom. Billiam is quick to sweep Karl away, hooking his arm around Karl’s to pull him towards Lyaria. </p>
<p>“Karl! I wondered where you went,” he declares, pressing another wine glass into Karl’s empty hands. </p>
<p>Lyaria waves as they rejoin her, “Yes, you didn’t get lost did you?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah,” Karl smiles politely, “I got a little turned around, but James found me.”</p>
<p>Billiam and Lyaria drag him into another conversation about the commonwealth, and Karl makes sure to nod at all the right times. </p>
<p>Yes, the party is a snoozefest. But when Karl looks across the room, James is already staring back at him over Lord Sebastian's shoulder. He thinks this is the best of all his trips, and for a moment he finds himself wishing he would never have to leave.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>finally had time to watch the masquerade and all i have to say is... james my beloved. im suppoused to be working on greek tragedy but i got struck with the need for james content at 3 am and wrote this instead pog &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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